Our Roots

Our Story in a Nutshell.

Our Co-founder and President Rafael was born in Southern California, and as a kid was always interested in his family’s heritage as Purépecha people (a people indigenous to Central Mexico). His childhood questions to his family were the spark to his growing passion of learning not only about his own culture, but the culture and traditions of many of the Native American tribes who are from here in the United States.

Rafael’s interest led him to the wide open landscapes, and the harsh climate of the American Southwest, where he intently learned how the local native tribes like the Navajo, Hopi, and Shoshone utilized the superfoods around them! Dozens of foods that most of us have never even heard of, are abundant in these areas and have been used by the people of the first nations for thousands of years. One of these foods was Pinyon, which naturally flourishes in the high desert.

The same interest that led Rafael to the Southwest, also led him to learn first hand that the Native American reservations and other rural communities in these areas are often living in a severe economic disparity from the rest of the country’s global economy. Industry is sparse in these isolated areas and it has directly affected poverty rates and other social problems that have been destructive to these communities. This is when the idea for Atsá Foods was born.

Real Food, Real Purpose

The abundance of unique yet underutilized superfoods and pressing socio-economic issues around these Native American and rural communities inspired Rafael to create the Atsá Foods Company. He believed it would be possible to create a partnership that would bridge the economic gap between rural and urban, and would also create a new connection between the two ways of life. This partnership would be with the local harvesters and the local people, not only sharing their foods with the world, but sharing their stories as well.

At Atsá Foods we’re using wild harvested Pinyon to promote sustainable foods, and a sustainable way of life, protecting the land we love, and opening new doors for sustainable economic growth in Native American and rural communities.

The Wild Harvested Pinyon Nut

Today at Atsá Foods, by creating a sustainable supply chain, we can harvest Wild Pinyon from its forests, without harming the surrounding environment. Because Pinyon is grown in the wild, we don't have to use any added pesticides, preservatives or large amounts of water, making it one of the most naturally sustainable foods in the world.

We pride ourselves on making Real Food. All of our products are made with vegan, gluten-free, and organic ingredients.